Dragon's Cave
by StBridget
Summary: Leave it to Matt to go wandering off and get stuck in a cave. Leave it to Steve to get stuck rescuing him. AU Dragon!Verse


**Hawaii Five-0 is property of CBS and its creators.  
**

 **A/N: This was inspired by a prompt (which I have since lost) to the effect of "I'm stuck. What are you doing?" "Taking pictures with my phone before calling the fire department" with a helping of "It's the princess' turn to rescue her dragon". This veered pretty far from the prompts, but it was fun to write. :)**

"Matthew John McGarrett-Williams!" Danny yelled. "Where are you?"

The McGarrett-Williams family had gone for a picnic on a narrow beach by a secluded cove surrounded by cliffs. It was the perfect place for them to all relax in their dragon forms if they wanted to and had the added bonus of beach access for those of the family so inclined (i.e. everyone except Danny). Danny had fallen asleep in human form watching Steve (in human form) and Steffie (in dragon form) cavort in the waves while Matt roamed the beach, alternating between human and dragon depending on what caught his eye. Danny woke up when Steve flopped down beside him, dripping salt water on Danny's overheated skin. "Where's Matt?" Steve asked.

Danny looked around. Steffie was next to Steve, staring at Danny with big, blue eyes, tail curled around her like a cat. Matt was nowhere to be seen. Danny panicked. He was just about to call again when he heard a voice in his head. _Danno, I'm stuck_.

That did nothing to calm Danny's panic. _Where are you?_ He sent back.

 _Up here_.

Danny looked around, trying to pinpoint where the voice was coming from. Finally, he spotted what looked like a cave about halfway up one of the cliffs. _How'd you get up there?_

 _I flew,_ Matt replied.

 _Why in Heaven's name would you do something like that? You know you're not supposed to wander off_.

 _I thought there might be treasure,_ Matt said, meekly.

Danny sighed. Of course. Between a lifelong fascination with dragons and a more recent fascination with pirates, fueled by fanciful stories from their extended ohana (most notably Jerry and Kamekona), Matt's head was filled with constant notions of treasure being hidden around every corner and in every nook and cranny. Of course he would go wandering into a cave in search of treasure.

Danny set his musings aside and focused on the problem at hand. First step, define it. He was about to ask Matt just what the boy meant by "stuck" when Steve took matters into his own hands.

"I'll fly up and get him," Steve said, shifting and taking off before Danny could say anything.

Danny sighed. It was just like the big lug to launch himself into the air without thinking things through. It could be worse, Danny supposed—Steve could have launched himself off the cliff. At least he had wings.

Danny still had some hope of salvaging the situation. _Just what do you think you're going to do when you get up there?_ He sent _._

 _Get him out,_ Steve replied, matter-of-factly.

 _And just how are you going to do that?_

 _He can shift and get on my back and I'll bring him down_ , Steve replied.

Danny had to admit Steve had given at least _some_ thought to this. Still, there were considerable gaps.

 _What if he can't shift? What if he's stuck that way, too_?

 _Danno, you worry too much,_ was Steve's only reply.

Frustrated, Danny waited on the beach. He wished there was something he could do, but all he could do was wait.

Steffie looked up at him. _Danno, is Matt going to be alright?_ She asked, worriedly.

"Yeah, baby, he's going to be fine," Danny assured her. "Your dad will get him out." _Hopefully without causing any more problems_ , Danny added to himself.

There was nothing from Steve or Matt for a couple of minutes. Just as Danny was wondering just how long it took to fly up a cliff anyway, Steve's voice sounded in his head.

 _Um, Danny, we may have a problem. . ._

Why was Danny not surprised? _And just what is that?_ He demanded.

 _I may be just a little bit stuck, too_.

Danny looked up the cliff. He could just make out Steve's bulk, wings flapping frantically, head disappearing into the cave.

 _Why'd you want to stick your head in there, you idiot?_ Danny wanted to know.

 _I couldn't reach Matt. I was trying to get closer._

 _Did it ever occur to you to shift first_?

 _Um, no?_ Steve replied, hesitantly.

Danny groaned. It figured the big goof would go and get himself stuck, too. _Maybe you better shift, too_.

 _Then how will Matt and I get down? I can't get him on my back if I'm human, and I can't shift in the cave._

Danny groaned again. No help for it then; Danny was going to have to go rescue them. _I'll be right there. Don't move_ , he admonished.

 _Don't worry—we don't have anywhere to go_. The big, purple bulk disappeared. Danny assumed he'd shifted and was inside the cave with Matt. Just as he was about to shift, Steffie spoke in his mind. _Where are you going, Danno?_

Drat it, he'd forgotten about her. No way could he leave a five-year-old down here alone. She'd have to come with him. Getting three people on his back was going to be tricky, but he'd have to manage.

 _We're going to go get your dad and brother_ , he told her. _I'm going to need you to shift and get on my back, okay, baby?_

Steffie nodded. She shimmered, and a cute little blonde-haired girl appeared beside him. It was Danny's turn. He shifted, a large (actually, small for a dragon) golden dragon appearing. _Okay, baby, up you go_.

Steffie obediently climbed up, and Danny took off. A few beats of his powerful wings brought him level with the cave. He peered in. He could just make out Matt and Steve in human form, waiting for him. _Everybody good to go_? He asked.

"Yeah," Steve said, "but we can't get on from that angle."

 _I'll shift_.

"How?" Steve wanted to know. "I couldn't manage it."

 _I'm smaller and more agile than you._ Sure enough, Danny maneuvered his body parallel to the cave, awkwardly flapping his wings to stay aloft. Steve handed Matt over, then settled on Danny's back behind the boy, making sure all three of them were secure.

"Okay, Danny, all set," Steve said.

Danny angled them back towards the beach, landing safely and waiting for them to disembark before shifting. He glared angrily at his husband and son. "And just what have you learned from this."

"Don't go poking into caves without being sure I can get out," Matt said, immediately.

"Very good." Danny turned towards his husband. "Steven?"

"Don't go poking into caves without being sure I can get out," Steve parroted.

"Good. Just make sure the two of you never do something stupid like that again."

"I won't Danno," Matt promised.

"I won't Danno," Steve echoed.

Well, at least Danny believed one of them.


End file.
